Blockchain as a New Frontier in Interior Design: A Systematic Review of Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Directions

Abstract

Using blockchain technology in interior construction holds transformative potential to increase efficiency, transparency, and sustainability. This first systematic review investigates blockchain’s overlooked applications in the interior design industry, addressing an important gap as digital transformation accelerates. Through rigorous literature analysis, this study identifies revolutionary areas including intellectual property protection, smart interiors, sustainable sourcing, procurement, and design innovation. A literature search across scientific databases yielded 122 sources to review blockchain’s opportunities and challenges for interior construction regarding supply chain transparency, smart contracts, and communication improvements. Findings synthesize theoretical benefits and real-world limitations in implementing blockchain while proposing priority avenues for future research and industry adoption. With empirical validation across use cases, blockchain could become a standalone solution for transforming interior design and construction practices to be more collaborative, ethical, and environmentally sustainable through inherent features of decentralization, transparency, and immutability. Practical implications encompass the need for policy direction and education to foster effective integration. This review forms the foundation and framework to catalyze the advancement of this high-impact research domain linking innovative technology with the interior-built environment industry.

Keywords

• Blockchain technology
• interior construction
• sustainable material sourcing
• construction management